Best Material for patio and paths? Natural Stone Slabs or Porcelain Tiles

[revelation]

We are going to have a 6m x 5m patio area laid and a 40m long path around 1m wide laid.   We are debating whether to use Porcelain Tiles or something like an Indian Sandstone/Brazilian Slate.  What would be the best long-term, and the potential pro and cons?

[Dave Jones]

porcelain doesnt need the same frequency of cleaning as stone, algae, dirt etc. It's also a more uniform product so can be made perfectly flat.

[Redoctober]

I have Indian sandstone which affords a lovely rough finish but is a bugger to keep clean it has to be said. I power wash it twice a year. Porcelain tiles appear to be the better option, however, the only observation I would make is would the modern sleek finish suit the appearance of the house? Does the house have a modern looking rendered finish which would complement a porcelain patio etc?

[revelation]

We have rendered our house a dark grey at the back so dark grey porcelain would look pretty good.  I feel like both would look okay with the render we have.  I want to get whatever is considered the best regards maintenance and longevity etc. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kelvin]

Both are good for longevity if laid correctly. Indian sandstone is hard to keep clean. We had a large the bluey grey sandstone patio at our previous house and it needed a thorough cleaning once a year. It’s very prone to lichen build up. You also need to stay on top of the cleaning as it can get slippy in the wet where the grime has built up

[saveasteading]

Slip resistance! They should be rated.

I would expect a suitable porcelain tile to have a texture that would then hold dirt....but I'm guessing and hope someone knows.

[Gus Potter]

10 hours ago, saveasteading said:

Slip resistance! They should be rated.

What a good idea, yes that would be a good bit of data to have.

[saveasteading]

4 hours ago, Gus Potter said:

Slip resistance! They should be rated.

Bad wording, sorry.

They are rated. Look at the slip ratings. 

If they don't have them, be very afraid of slips and falls.

[Dave Jones]

dont rule out small format blocks as well, some of the new marshalls range look really smart.